New Dupont Circle bookstore has a storied past in Shanghai

The big picture: The bookstore is part of a wave of Chinese cultural and civic groups emerging elsewhere in the world as the Chinese government stifles free speech and public discussion and organization.

• Several independent Chinese bookstores have been pressured to close over the last few years.

Driving the news: The store opened this past weekend next door to Kramers on Connecticut Avenue.

Context: JF Books sprung from the well-known Shanghai book group Jifeng Bookstore, which once had several outposts and was popular with the city's liberal set for carrying philosophical, historical and political titles, as well as for hosting seminars and events.

• The last Shanghai location closed in 2018, several years after Yu bought a majority stake in the store, reported the South China Morning Post. Yu blamed the closure on "obstruction from local cultural authorities."
• He later moved to the United States with his family and is now behind the first American location.

Zoom in: The D.C. store will feature Chinese-language books on the same topics as its predecessor, as well as English-language books focusing on Asian and Chinese culture. It will also host events.

• Inside, there's a corner displaying goodbye messages customers wrote when the last of the original locations in Shanghai closed, and photos from the former outposts are featured throughout, Voice of America reports.